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Young mom discovers the power of a lullaby

Lindsey Scullen
/
Michigan Radio
Sharnise Elbert and her son Kasen.

Credit Lindsey Scullen / Michigan Radio
/
Michigan Radio
Sharnise Elbert and Joe Deller.

When it comes to building love and connection between mother and baby, it’s hard to beat the ancient magic of a lullaby.

Those moments holding your baby, singing a lullaby, can live in a mother’s heart long after that baby is grown.

So imagine the extra power of a lullaby you write just for your baby. The Carnegie Hall Lullaby Project at the Flint School of Performing Arts helps young mothers do just that.

“We’re trying to capture moments in time,” said Joe Deller, director of the Lullaby Project in Flint. “We’re trying to create stronger bonds between moms and their babies and just give a chance for moms to create something that they might not have been able to create otherwise.”

Sharnise Elbert is one of the first moms to work with the Lullaby Project. She produced a lullaby for her baby son Kasen.

Credit Lindsey Scullen / Michigan Radio
/
Michigan Radio
Sharnise Elbert and her son Kasen.

Elbert said she accepted her invitation to the project because music is inspiring and it “relieves stress.”

“It was emotional because at the time I still couldn’t believe I was going to be a mommy,” she said. “So it was very emotional and it just inspired me to do different things."

Listen above to hear Sharnise sing her lullaby “You Can Count on Me.” You’ll also hear her explain how the lullaby-writing process helped her gain confidence as a young mother.

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